noka

You are just plain wrong here. Your logic is flawed. I can operate it safely but there are degrees of safety. Clearly bald tires would not be very safe (an extreme example). Your argument is that you can operate more safely with snows. I won't argue that point.

I also won't argue that point. However, people can operate vehicles safely with all-seasons, if they are extremely careful (should be anyway) and understand the compromises and limitations of doing so.

Mtl20v

Yes. But regardless...if you live in a snowy part of the world, and can afford winter tires (which as MB drivers...I'm sure we all can), you should run them.

Not to mention that driving a C in the snow with good winter tires is much more fun than crawling. I prefer winter driving to summer. Much more amusing.

jctevere

Oh lordie. Here we go again. I really feel that the whole Winter vs All-Season Tire debate is a non-issue. Certainly not a big enough gap to deem all-seasons unsafe and call winter tires safe. Are they safer... yes.

Take a look for yourself...

Great Winter Tire Ratings: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....ilot+Alpin+PA2

Great All-Season Tire Rating: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....emeContact+DWS

If you look at the data you will see that the ONLY category where the all-season tire gets beat is in the Winter/Snow category ratings. Out of the three winter sections, only in 2 does the winter tire prevail over the all-season; and not by much.

In deep snow traction the winter tire gets a 8.0 and the all-season a 7.9 (out of 10). In ice traction the winter tire beats out the all season in a 7.8 to 7.6 rating (out of 10).

So personally, those "slight" increases in winter traction are not worth the extra time, money and effort of buying, storing, mounting winter tires, and then have to put back on summer/all-seasons.

All-season tires have come a LONG way in the last couple of years. Yes, the winter tires will give you better snow and ice traction. But in my personal experience only in deep snow or icy conditions. Chances are that the roads are plowed by the time people start to drive and most will never see deep snow. And when the roads get icy, even winter tires won't do great. Ice is still ice and that means a VERY low coefficient of friction between your tires and the road surface.

Whats more interesting is that a case can be made that winter tires are even worse than all-seasons. Out of the entire winter season there are only a handful of snow days. On the other hand there are MANY dry days, and also a ton of wet days (or at least more than snow days). Winter tires are rated much worse than all-season tires in these exact areas (dry and wet). In most cases, the difference is more dramatic than the benefit/gain in winter snow performance.

Like I said, I see no purpose in winter tires unless you live in areas where you commonly get snow/ice (weekly basis) during the winter. But the fact is for most of the areas around the world (or in the United States for that matter), this is not the case. And for the couple of snow days people will get, it will either be fully plowed and salted with only water left on the ground, or light snow, in which case, all-seasons will be just as good if not better than winter tires. Or it will be very deep snow or extremely icy, in which case you will probably not drive out anyway... Thats just my opinion though.

Sportstick

And......we're baaaaaaack!

Here's more interesting reading from a disinterested 3rd party with nothing to sell.

http://www.insideline.com/features/i...ter-tires.html

There are lots more like this....Google is your friend!

Your tirerack.com analysis is unfortunately flawed. Those ratings are within the context of each category and its expectations, so the inter-category consistency is unknown and not reliably comparable. The all season tires are rated versus expectation for all season tires...same for winter. If the all season and winter were rated by the same population as one combined group, the distribution would likely be much greater.

noka

There's plenty of evidence available such that anyone can find data to support one argument or the other

Mtl20v

Agreed. But why not as safe as possible. Especially with the storms we are having these days.

Btw.. snow tires are mandatory in Germany.

noka

That's funny, because I go to Germany for work at least once a year and you know what they provided on my Stuttgart rental in Feb (2010) when there was snow? You guessed it, All Seasons. I should complain to the authorities that visitors are being treated as 2nd class citizens.

Sportstick

You are kidding, aren't you?

Rental cars worldwide are low cost vehicles. When air bags were optional, rentals did not have them. When ABS was optional, rentals did not have them. Check the lots in Chicago and Minneapolis...all season tires, no doubt. Rental car fleet risk managers are protecting their bottom line, either with selling various insurance coverages, or requiring waivers, ultimately relying on operator usage for liability for potential damages/injuries. Renters are always treated as second class citizens for a variety of reasons when and wherever they rent! Here's my latest Avis employee encounter...that's them with the hammer!

Anyway, the final answer is that some folks decide good enough is good enough, and the others want winter tires.

noka

Kidding? No, the rental really did have all-seasons. Did I expect anything else? No. You did see the smiley face didn't you

Sportstick

I believe that rentals have all seasons! No doubt there!

I wondered if you were kidding that this was a serious counter-argument on the issue of whether we should be on winter tires!

noka

I was simply responding to the statement that snows are mandatory in Germany. As written it was false, as clearly a) I was in Germany and b) the rental company was not obligated to rent a car with snows.

Sportstick

On that point, you are correct! Sorry if I misunderstood your comment.

Wonder if the rental car companies somehow lobbied for an exception which applies to privately owned cars...not that businesses are ever able to undermine the public good for their own profit!

Matt_Eurojerks

Will you two just bang and get it over with already.

Yuille36

You've all touched on the subject, it doesn't matter in you have 4 wheel drive or one wheel drive, it all comes down to what is touching the road....your tires. Get it.